The metric that actually matters
Most people scan their survey queue for the biggest dollar amount. That's the wrong filter. A $4 healthcare survey taking 28 minutes pays less per minute than a $2.50 technology survey taking 12 minutes. When you're trying to maximize earnings in a limited time window, reward per minute is everything — total payout is just noise.
Here's how the major categories stack up in 2026, ranked by dollars per minute of your time.
Healthcare and pharmaceutical — roughly $0.24/min
The premium tier. Pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and insurance providers need specific respondent populations — caregivers, patients managing particular conditions, healthcare professionals. If you qualify, the compensation reflects it: studies typically run 15–25 minutes and pay $3.50–$6.00.
The catch is qualifying. Fill in your health history section honestly — conditions you're managing, medications you take, procedures you've had. Even being a regular caregiver for someone with a condition counts. You'd be surprised how many studies you unlock.
Financial services — around $0.21/min
Banks, insurance companies, and fintech startups run continuous attitude tracking on their products. Hold investment accounts? Recently applied for a mortgage or credit card? Make household financial decisions? You qualify for a disproportionate share of these studies, and they pay well — $2.80–$4.50 for 15–20 minutes.
B2B and professional research — around $0.20/min
Companies pay a real premium to reach small business owners, managers with purchasing authority, and IT decision-makers — because they're hard to find through standard consumer channels. If you make purchasing decisions at work, even for a small team, this category is worth flagging clearly in your profile.
Technology and consumer electronics — around $0.18/min
High volume, decent pay. Tech brands test product concepts, UI preferences, and purchase intent throughout the year — especially in Q4 before launch cycles. The studies are usually conversational. Good for filling in a queue when you don't have longer studies available.
Travel and hospitality — around $0.17/min
Better-than-average rate, but seasonal. Volume peaks in Q1 (holiday planning) and Q3 (summer travel). If you travel at least twice per year — leisure or business — keep this well-populated in your profile. It pays noticeably more than consumer goods research for similar time commitments.
Food and beverage — around $0.15/min
Lower rate per minute, but the volume compensates. Consumer packaged goods brands run more surveys than almost any other sector. If your profile reflects regular grocery shopping and brand preferences, expect frequent invitations. Useful for filling gaps, less useful if you're optimizing hourly rate.
Media and entertainment — around $0.13/min
Lowest payout per minute of the major categories, but the content is usually lightweight — reacting to ads, trailers, show concepts. Good for low-energy sessions at the end of the day. Just don't prioritize it over the categories above.
The practical move: fill in your healthcare history, financial product ownership, and any professional purchasing authority in your profile. Those three categories alone account for a disproportionate share of the best-compensated studies on most panels — and most members leave them blank.